Hatching egg not at right date? WARNING GRAPHIC PICS!!

[TC]

Okay, we are hatching eggs for both to add to our flock and as a science experiment for our science lessons. We have done eggs at 3, 7, 14 and 18. The chick doesn't look to be at day 18 though from all the pics we use for a refrence. That seems to be an awful lot of yolk and a bit of blood.

We have a little giant still air incubator, that was at 99/100 for the first week/10 days till I learned that a still air needs to be at 102 on top of the eggs. There have been very few temp flucatuations, but 1 catastrophic episode where the inbubator got switched off (wall switch) on accident and it went ot 73 degrees. I refill the incubator wells every 2/3 days when the water empties out. and there is only one plug on open on the incubator. Yes they were on an egg turner. I took it out today, because I was tinking it was day 18 for them. You think maybe they just hatch a little late? Yes, he was alive when I opened the egg

He is a little bantam cross.

 

[Snakeoil]

If I understand right, you took the egg out today, day 18? The chick had three more days to go.......

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
Yup... takes 21 days, maybe a little longer if your temps were low for a bit.

 

[gabrielle1976]

gahh I shouldnt have looked you did post a warning... But why why why why would you open a imature egg just because.

 

[PQ]

Agreed 18 is when you stop turning Ive had chicks hatch late when temps are low so I would wait till day 24 to open and see.
Keep you humidity up and see what happens.

 

[Katy]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're opening and comparing the chicks at different days of incubation for your science project.

I would agree with you that that chick is behind where it should be at day 18. Since your temps were low it is probably behind because of that. I'd give the ones you're going to hatch a couple of extra days.

 

[TC]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're opening and comparing the chicks at different days of incubation for your science project.

I would agree with you that that chick is behind where it should be at day 18. Since your temps were low it is probably behind because of that. I'd give the ones you're going to hatch a couple of extra days.

YES!! It was the last chick we opened up for the last pics of our science project. Its the last life science project before we move on. Since we were already going to hatch chicks, it was the perfect project. Yes, its sad, but its science. That's what I was worried about, was it being behind. I have Marans in there with the bantam x's, There are still 8 eggs in the incubator.

Since they seem a bit behind and I already took them off the egg turner should I turn them my self for a couple more days? I have them on the wire, 2 sponges in place (wet, not soaking wet) and temps back at 101.5 to 102.5. Does this sound okay for the remaining eggs?

Thank you Katy!! I appreciate the help.. its my first time. Will post pics when they hatch!​

 

[CindyS]

I would say it looks more like a 14 day chick, so yes they are way off schedule. Umm, just curious, what did you learn or are you learning?

 

[TC]

I would say it looks more like a 14 day chick, so yes they are way off schedule. Umm, just curious, what did you learn or are you learning?

I am going to asume what have I learned by opening up what was supposed to be a 18 day old chick? Myself lots!

1) That as my first time incubating my own eggs, temps on the box are NOT what are intended for the actual hatching process. I read the manual, several times. I bought a 20 meat thermometer to keep an eye on things. 99.5 is NOT the desired temp for a still air incubator. It's 102.

2) Candeling eggs. I have never candled eggs before. Its was all a huge learning process for me. My girls got a HUGE kick out of watching "dancing" chicken embryos.

3) Low temps didn't necessarily kill my chicks. Just pick up, adjust, and move on.

Now, the bigger question. What did my girls learn? Life science in the raw.

We have looked at several chicken embryos along the way, though I will admit, Most of them were already dead when we opened them. Sure we could have looked at the books and other websites, but they don't put the WHOLE egg in the embryology photos, just the chick. So, what was going on with the yolk. How was the chicken attached to the yolk? what was all that "clear goo" for? Sure they see stringy veins in the shells, but why are they there? Where to they connect to the chicken? Seeing an embryo grow before its developed into a fluffy little chick helps them to learn about "the birds and the bees". I am 4 months pregnant, so it helped them to understand how that worked with out having to explain HOW IT WORKED, if you get my drift.

It helps them to learn too that even though that chick wasn't even born yet, it was still a living being. And that even though you can't see it running around in a shell it still breathes. They were sad that the little chick died when we opened it up. Compassion for things that they cant see is always a good thing. I hope they remember that before they litter, dump their soap in the drain, or any other mindless thing that some humans do now a days. It is possible to hurt the things you CAN'T see.​

 

[Teresaann24]

Here is a picture of a 18 day old chick during incubation process.

this is day 15